Have I Become an Intellectual Snob?

I love rural medicine. My whole life I have had this fantasy of doing wonderful things for people with access to little health care technology.

After a week in this small town, though, I am struggling. The skills-related things are amazing. I can deal with the shortage of staff and resources. And the quiet environment is quite lovely.

But it is difficult to relate to patients here. I have had a mere two patients who managed to finish their schooling. I make an effort to speak to patients in their home language, but even then they don’t seem to understand the importance of complying to their ARV or TB regimens.

Even the more affluent patients here are shallow and narrow-minded. I know this is a silly little thing, and shouldn’t have any effect on my interaction with patients. But it drives me mad.